Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Maine

Re: stipes?

The term refers to a method of determining rights or percentage of an heir. Specifically it means that the survivors of a deceased heir divide that deceased heir's share rahter than share in the whole at that generation- for example if grandfather dies and Willed property to his 3 sons, if each son survived each would get a third. However, if the Will is per stirpes and 1 son predeceased grandfather, leaving behind 2 grandsons, each of those grandsons would split their fathers 1/3 share, rather than each get 1/4 of the total split between the 2 sons and the 2 grandsons.